Michael Ballack
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack believes England will crack under the pressure and lose today’s World Cup last 16 match against Germany.
"The English have huge respect [for Germany.] There is no other team in the World Cup they fear more,” he told the Bild. “In addition they also have strong concerns of a possible penalty shoot-out against us."
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The former Germany captain conceded that England would be tough to break down, even though he said they eventually would succumb.
"England are a damn hard nut to crack,” he said. “Lampard and Terry together with Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney - who really is top class - are the axis of the England side.”
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Ballack then highlighted the strengths of those four key England players.
He said Per Mertesacker “must be on his guard,” to stop the “highly dangerous” Terry at set pieces, while Mertesacker and centre-back partner Arne Friedrich must beware of Rooney, since it’s “only a matter of time” before he finds his form.
“Lampard and Gerrard will be a problem when they move inside,” he continued. “Both are a huge goal threat.”
England to come from behind and win - 9/1
He said was he was convinced Germany would progress to the quarter final, citing “team unity” as their “trump card.”
“We can play with freedom, we will be less nervous than the English, even though player-for-player, they are the favourites” he said. “But this passionate football nation (England) is under extreme pressure."
Ballack advised the German players to “show no respect,” before speaking excitedly of the spectacle as a “classic,” saying that “because of such games the World Cup was invented.”
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